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The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) was formed in 1986 to advance the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees in Los Angeles; promote harmonious multi-ethnic and multi-racial human relations; and through coalition-building, advocacy, community education and organizing, empower immigrants and their allies to build a more just society.

CHIRLA has been an active part of this community for many years through its organizing committee which engages immigrant families by offering its members leadership development and ways to exercise their power to create concrete change. Through our new satellite office in Pacoima we are now able to make some of our signature services more accessible to our members and the community in the San Fernando Valley. We have also partnered with the local library to host civics classes, and have established a financial loan program with the Pacoima Credit Union to provide our members with DACA and Citizenship Loans to help cover the cost of fees associated with the application process.

CHIRLA calls on Democratic presidential candidate to fix immigration mistakes of the past, including President Bill Clinton's policies that hurt families

Los Angeles -- The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), an immigrant rights organization based in California, welcomed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's remarks Tuesday on immigration reform delivered in Las Vegas while surrounded by young immigrants who shared their stories with her.

The following are statements for Angelica Salas, CHIRLA executive director.

"Secretary Clinton has set herself apart from the pack of presidential contenders thus far by endorsing immigration reform with a path to citizenship. We agree with Mrs. Clinton that fixing our broken and unjust immigration laws is a family issue, a moral issue, a national identity issue.

We welcome Mrs. Clinton's intent to push immigration reform if elected President and we agree with her our nation cannot wait for a path to citizenship for millions of people who contribute on a daily basis to our nation's growth, economy, and vitality. We commend Mrs. Clinton for firmly stating she will fight for a comprehensive solution, stop attacks against executive action programs such as DAPA and DACA, and to go even further if Congress does not pass legislation.

The question is how much further will she go if she is elected President. We expect Mrs. Clinton to remain bold, committed, and ready to make immigration laws humane, targeted and effective, including fixing past mistakes by President Clinton which have directly contributed to the tearing apart of countless families. Only through actions in the face of inaction will we believe Mrs. Clinton's pose today strikes the tone our nation needs and our community deserves."

“CHIRLA applauds Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) and her colleagues for introducing the Health Equity & Access under the Law (HEAL) Immigrant Women & Families Act of 2015 on Wednesday. This bill removes the barriers to affordable healthcare for immigrants authorized to live and work in the United States that were erected almost 20 years ago and will allow immigrant women and families to participate in the healthcare programs their tax dollars support.

As everyone knows, immigrants work hard, pay taxes, and contribute to our communities and our economy, but are denied access to healthcare programs supported by their tax dollars under current law. CHIRLA believes they should have the same responsibilities and access to affordable healthcare as their friends and neighbors.

HEAL is important for the health of immigrant women and children. Immigrant women are more likely to be low-income, of reproductive age, and uninsured for healthcare. They are also more likely to suffer from cervical cancer — and for a woman facing cervical cancer, five years can mean the difference between life and death.

Everyone would benefit from this legislation. Immigrant families without health insurance may delay treatment, leading to higher costs and greater suffering, or seek care through under-resourced emergency systems. And we know that when more of us have health coverage, our workforce is healthier and our economy is stronger.

We are proud to support the Health Equity & Access under the Law (HEAL) for Immigrant Women & Families Act of 2015 and we thank and congratulate Congresswoman Grisham for her leadership on this very important and timely issue.”

We all know the permanent solution to fix our broken immigration system is legislation that strikes at the heart of this issue. Unfortunately, politics trumped doing what's right in this Congress. Democrats will blame Republicans for doing nothing. Republicans will blame the President for doing nothing. And the President continues to deport our loved one by the thousands each day.

In the end, the separation of families, the instability to our communities, and the need for our nation to be fair and balanced on immigration, continues without leadership.

Now the President has the chance to do something affirmatively on immigration. He can issue Administrative Relief, that although temporary, will relieve the suffering of our community and send Congress a signal that we cannot kick the can down the road much longer. We expect the President to act boldly and generously. We need him to cover as many immigrants as possible in his announcement.

The following stories highlight why Administrative Relief, which could mean deferring deportations and offering a work permit, is such a meaningful act to immigrant families, our communities, and the nation. Read on.